Wringer mechanism



Dec. 31, 1940. N. L. ETTEN WRINGER MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l a ave/22%;.- fl fi'(%0/cz5 Z. 75622 I g" "57% I (72 is? N. L. ETTEN WRINGER MECHANISM Dec. 31, 1940.

Filed April 26, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 :i A I M Dec. 31, 1940. N. 1.. ETTEN 2,227,130

WRINGER MECHANI SM Filed April 26, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 31, N ETTEN WRINGER MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 26, 1939 Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to wringers for domestic washing machines and particularly to a novel structure for a modern streamlined wringer de sign.

Styling of domestic washing machines has proceeded to a point where the stylists control the exterior appearance of wringers and the engineer is required to invent structure to fit the exterior design.

It is the particular object of this invention to provide a wringer structure wherein the entire wringer mechanism is enclosed within an integrally formed frame and the rolls and operating mechanism inserted through a central slot opening in the top and end of the frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide roll pressure release mechanism operable by a release bar hung on the lower edge of the wringer frame and shaped to conform closely with the outline of the drain board opening in the frame.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the following descriptions and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the wringer complete showing how the operating mechanism is confined within the streamlined integrally formed frame outline;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the wringer complete as shown in Fig. 1, showing the central top and end slot through which the mechanism is inserted and also how the safety release bar conforms with the outline of the drain board openmg;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken cross sectional view showing the roll mounting and the operating mechanism as they appear with the rolls in cooperative pressure relationship;

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 but with the roll pressure having been released and the rolls moving into separated position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional end elevation view disclosing the interior arrangement of the mechanism as it would appear on the section lines 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken cross-sectional plan view disclosing the interior structure as it appears on the section lines 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Now referring to the drawings, and at the outset particularly to Figs. 4, 5, and 6,- I designate the integral frame by the numeral ID. This frame has cross brace members II which support a longitudinal channel member l2 which acts as a general support member for roll bearing guides 13 inserted therein and as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The lower roll i4 is mounted in a conventional manner in bearings H and is driven by a conventional reversing gear head drive which is 5 only partially shown in Fig.- 4. This is a con ventional structure well understood in the art, and not being pertinent to the present invention, it will not be described in detail.v

The upper roll i5 is mounted in the bearings H! which have a spring retaining strap l9 riveted on the inner side. This retainer strap I9 projects above the bearings l8 and has a hole therethrough to hold the pressure spring 20 as shown. From the above structure as described, 15 it will be understood that the upper roll I5 with the bearings l8 and the spring are slidably mounted as a unit in the bearing support members I3. The spring 20 has a central depressed section 2|, the purpose of which will later be de- 20 scribed.

Pivotally mounted in the top slot opening of the frame I0 is a top lever member 22 having a simple hinge recess pivot 23 co-acting with a ball pivot 24 in the frame l0, as clearly shown in 25 Fig. 4. Attached to the top lever member 22 by the pivot pin 25'. is a companion lever 25 which co-acts with a toggle lever 26 pivoted to the companion lever 25 at 21 and to the inner member I3 by the pivot pin 28. This structure will be readily recognized as a conventional toggle lever str'ucture'which normally would act to force the top lever 22 downward when'the end lever 25 is depressed. By observing the position of the pivot pins 25', 21, and 28 in Fig. 3, it will be appreciated that this toggle lever is in unstable relationship when the end lever 25 is depressed and in order, to sustain roll pressure through the spring 2|, it is necessary to retain it by a retainer latch 39. This retainerlatch 39 is pivoted to an end bracket 4| by the pivot pin 40 and is normally urged downward in locked relationship by a tension spring 42 as shown. The latch 39 as urged by the spring 42 45 will normally engage the cross pin 38in the end lever 25 and will thereupon hold the lever system as described.

This lever system as described to this point, merely acts to pull down the top lever '22. I 50 will now describe how by a novel arrangement I make pressure contact with the spring 20. It will be appreciated that some novel mechanism is necessary because the normal movement of the top lever 22 does not permit sufiicient move- 66 ment of the spring 20. To accomplish my purpose I provide another system of levers co-acting with the toggle lever system as follows:

Pivotally mounted at 30 on the upright member i3 is a link 29 having a cross pivot pin 3| attaching it to another link 33 and extending sidewise through an angle slot 32 in the top lever 22. This link 33 is pivotally attached to a bell crank 34 by the pivot pin 36. This bell crank is pivotally supported on the top lever 42 by the pin 35 and carries a contact roller member 31 as shown. By observing Fig. 3, it will be noted that this last described lever system coacts with the toggle lever system to rotate the bell crank lever 34 clockwise when in closed position, bringing the roller 31 into the depression 2| of the depression spring 20. When the toggle lever system is released through the latch 39 the'link 33 is drawn outward by the angle slot-"32 and quickly rotates the bell crank 34 in a counter-clockwise direction, immediately clearing the spring 20 to permit it to move upward much higher than the corresponding movement of the upper lever 22. By the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a bell crank pressure spring contact co-aoting with a. toggle lever system which is quickly swung out of contact with the pressure spring and permits the upper roll and pressure spring assembly to move much higher than would be possible without this arrangement.

Now referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be observed that I have provided dual actuating levers 43 to trip the latch 39. These levers 43 are mounted on longitudinal shaft members 44 pivotally supported in the frame ill by the bearin members 44'. Likewise attached to the longitudinal shaft members 44 are the safety release levers 45, and these levers, it will be observed, are formed to closely conform to the outline of the drain board. This close conformity of the safety levers 45 is permitted by the fact that only slight movement of the safety release levers 45 is required to lift the latch 39 out of engagement with the cross pin 38. The reason for this, it will be readily appreciated, is the fact that the actuating levers 43 are rather long, and, therefore, only slight pivotal movement of the shaft 44 is required to lift therelease latch 39. It will further be appreciated that because the toggle lever mechanism 22, 25, 23 is in unstable relationship, as heretofore described, only slight effort is required to lift the retaining latch 39 from f the cross pin 38, From the foregoing it will be" appreciated that I have provided a release structure actuated by a very slight movement of little magnitude on the release levers 45.

It will be observed that in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 I show a conventional drain board 46 pivotally mounted under the frame l0. Inasmuch as this drain board is a conventional structure and is not pertinent to the present invention, it will not be described in further detail.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a wringer, a frame, a central slot opening in the top and end of said frame, cooperating wringer rolls mounted in said frame, spring means urging said rolls into pressure relationship, toggle lever mechanism mounted in said frame and closing said frame opening, and lock and release mechanism coacting with said toggle lever to lock the rolls in pressure engagement or to release said pressure.

2. In a wringer, a frame, a central slot opening in the top and end of said frame, cooperating wringer rolls mounted in said frame, spring means urging said rolls into pressure relationship, toggle lever mechanism mounted -in said frame and closing said frame opening, crank mechanism actuated by said toggle lever to urge said spring means into pressure engagement with the rolls. and lock and release mechanism coacting with said toggle lever to lock the rolls in pressure engagement or to release said pressure.

3. In a wringer, a frame, a central slot opening in the top and end of said frame, cooperating wringer rolls mounted in said frame, spring means urging said rolls into pressure relationship, toggle lever mechanism mounted in said frame and closing said frame opening, crank mechanism actuated by said toggle lever to urge said spring means into pressure engagement with the rolls, said crank mechanism being retracted away from said spring upon reverse or release movement of said toggle lever, and lock and release mechanism .co-acting with said toggle lever to lock the rolls in pressure engagement or to release said pressure.

4. In a wringer, a frame, a drain board integral with said frame, a central slot opening in the top and end of said frame, cooperating wringer rolls mounted in said frame, spring means urging said rolls into pressure relationship, toggle lever mechanism mounted in said frame and closing said frame opening, crank mechanism actuated by said toggle lever to urge said spring means into pressure-engagement with the rolls, and lock and release mechanism co-acting with said toggle lever to lock the rolls in pressure engagement or to release said pressure, said release mechanism being controlled by arched release arms closely following the upper outline of the drain. board:

5. In a wringer, a frame, cooperating wringer rolls mounted in said frame, spring means urging said rolls into pressure relationship, toggle lever mechanism mounted in said frame, crank mechanism actuated by said toggle lever to urge said spring means into pressure engagement with the rolls, said crank mechanism being retracted away from said spring upon reverse or release movement of said toggle lever, and lock and release mechanism co-acting with said toggle lever to lock the rolls in pressure engagement or to release said pressure.

NICHOLAS L. E'II'EN. 

